


Mean to Me

by twilight_shades



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Antagonism, Bisexuality, Drunken Kissing, Drunkenness, Dubcon Kissing, Multi, Questioning, Relationship Negotiation, Sexuality
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-31
Updated: 2019-01-31
Packaged: 2019-10-19 19:21:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17607398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twilight_shades/pseuds/twilight_shades
Summary: Billy antagonizes, apologizes to, acts on his affections for, annoys, and aggravates Steve.  Steve dodges people, drinks too much, delves into kissing, decides, and discusses possibilities.





	Mean to Me

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Do not own. Complete fiction.

Steve is avoiding pretty much everybody (except Dustin and his group – persistent little shits, all of them). Steve wouldn’t have thought he would have to avoid either Nancy or Jonathan, thought that they’d both try to steer clear of him, but somehow Nancy wants him around and weirdly Jonathan does, too. And Billy, well, Billy’s always been about pushing Steve, but this is different, now he just watches or gets close or both, even though he doesn’t say anything or try to make any sort of physical contact. Steve had thought it was just about the bruises, as Billy’s eyes would seem to catalogue them every day, but they’re gone now. Maybe it has something to do with the threat Max had made (Steve had gotten a breathless account of it at one point and he kind of wishes he’d been conscious for that instead of the part of the drive that he was). It’s maybe a little lonely, keeping away from people, except he’s not really sure he wants to be around anyone right now, not to mention that he doesn’t know how to behave around them.

Steve doesn’t really want to think about that or the Upside Down or anything for a while so he goes to a party out at the quarry. It’s okay because he mostly doesn’t know the people there that well or he doesn’t really care what they think of him. So, he catches a ride there with a teammate and he drinks. And he drinks. And he drinks. And he drinks some more. He finds a place and sort of hides out there until he’s the only one left. It’s cold out, but pretty mild for January, which is probably a good thing, even though he hasn’t been feeling the cold for a while now. He loses some time, but he’s not sure if it’s the drinking or what. When he comes back to himself, he finds he’s sitting on the ledge, legs hanging over, and it’s a long way down. That’s about when he realizes someone’s calling his name and he thinks maybe they have been for some time. 

“Harrington. Steve!”

Steve looks around and finds Billy crouching a few feet away with a really uneasy expression. “What?” Steve asks, annoyed.

“You in there, now? Look, this isn’t going to solve anything.”

Steve is confused. “Huh?”

Billy gestures at Steve and the quarry.

Steve looks back at the quarry, looks around, looks down. “Oh. I’m not going to jump.” He stretches his neck out further to get a better view. “That would probably hurt a lot.”

“Probably,” Billy says sarcastically.

Steve feels a little dizzy. “Might fall, though.” Steve turns to smile at Billy. “I’m pretty drunk.”

“Christ. Why don’t you come away from the edge? You can go home where it’s warm and be a pretty drunk there.”

There’s something strange about the way he put that, but Steve can’t figure out what. Anyway, he’s more interested in something else right now. He tries to peer at Billy like he means business, but he’s swaying a little, so it might not come across. “Why? Why do you care if I become a stupid teen statis…satisic…story? There was a point when I thought you were going to kill me. Max thought so, too. Is that it? Don’t want me to accidentally die, want to do it yourself?”

Billy’s face gets tight and angry and his fists curl.

Steve thinks maybe that wasn’t the best thing to bring up at the moment.

Billy breathes in deeply and calms a bit. “No. I don’t want that. I didn’t- I shouldn’t have- Sorry, Harrington, for beating you up like that.”

Steve just stares at Billy in surprise.

“But really, you should learn to fight better. And, seriously, plant your damn feet.”

Steve snorts.

“Now, you want to get off that ledge?” Billy says, gesturing Steve toward him.

Steve sighs. “Yeah, alright.” He pulls his legs up and then gets them under him so he’s kneeling. He wavers a little, his balance off.

Billy makes an aborted move toward him, reaching out.

Steve frowns at him and gets to his feet. He’s maybe tilting a little, but not too badly, so he smiles triumphantly at Billy.

“Oh, yay, Harrington, you successfully stood up and didn’t fall to your death,” Billy says mockingly.

“God, why are you so mean? I didn’t do anything to you.”

“No, you didn’t, not a Goddamn thing.”

Steve walks, okay, staggers, closer to Billy, studying him, trying to figure out why that had sounded like an accusation. “You want me to do something to you?”

“Well, you’re a smart one, aren’t you?”

“No,” Steve says sadly.

“No?” Billy repeats, turning it into a question.

Steve is trying to keep still and it’s harder than it should be, it feels like the ground is slowly moving. “I’m stupid. My dad tells me all the time. Well, when he’s around, anyway.”

“Huh. My dad tells me I’m stupid, too. Assholes,” Billy says.

“Well, yeah, but still, it’s not like he’s wrong, about me,” Steve says tiredly.

“Bullshit. You’re not a nerd, but you’ve got like a B average, that isn’t stupid.”

“We need to keep our grades up to play, you know that, and some of my classes are gimmes.”

“A C average lets you play, you got more than that, and you aren’t just taking Rocks for Jocks,” Billy says.

“I’m- Wait, how do you know I have a B average?”

“I pay attention.”

Steve blows out a breath. That seems weird somehow, but he can’t think it through. His head feels fuzzy. He feels a little sick, now. “I think I should sit down.”

“No, no.” Billy gets a hold of his arm and keeps him up. Billy steers Steve down a path. Steve stumbles and weaves some, but Billy keeps him going and eventually gets Steve settled in the passenger side of Billy’s car.

Steve leans his head against the window and closes his eyes. Then, somehow, when he opens them again, Billy’s pulling into his driveway. Steve manages to clamber out of the car. He stands staring at the house for long moments. He’d left a light on earlier so it would seem more inviting when he got back. It still looks empty to him. 

“Your parents going to be mad?” Billy asks.

Steve looks over and Billy’s watching him with a frown. “Oh, no, they aren’t home.”

“Oh, yeah? King Steve is the king of the house? Where are they? Going to be gone long?”

Steve shrugs. “Don’t know.”

“You, you don’t know?”

“No. Sometimes they forget to tell me.”

“They… forget,” Billy says, looking puzzled.

“Yeah. Anyway, I am home. You have gotten me here and you can go.”

“Well, now, Princess, I’m full service,” Billy says with smarmy smile.

Steve frowns at him, not sure what he means.

Billy comes over and puts his hand on Steve’s back and pushes until Steve starts moving. He guides Steve along and up toward the door.

“What are you doing?”

“What does it look like? I’m walking you to your door, making sure you actually make it inside.”

Steve shakes his head, he doesn’t understand Billy at all. He nearly face plants when he misses a step, but Billy keeps him from falling. Steve fumbles for the key, but gets the door open and steps inside. He turns to face Billy. “This has been really weird, but thanks for the ride, I guess.”

“So polite,” Billy says tauntingly.

Steve rolls his eyes and goes to shut the door in Billy’s face. Billy stops him with a hand on the door. “What do you want from me, Billy?”

“A lot,” Billy says. He pushes in and backs Steve right up to the wall with his body and then kisses him, hard. Then he steps back. “Night, Steve.” He walks out, closing the door gently behind him.

Steve stands against the wall, staring after him. He doesn’t move for long minutes, even after he hears Billy’s car leave.

~~~

A few days later, after another exhausting day of dodging people at school, Steve somehow gets wheedled into staying for awhile at the Byers’ house after dropping Will off. It’s not as awkward or uncomfortable as he had thought it might be, but maybe that’s because he’s kind of distracted. He finds himself having an actual discussion about music with Jonathan in his room while Nancy goes to help Will with polynomials.

“What does it mean, when another guy kisses you?” Steve asks abruptly.

Jonathan blinks at him. “What?”

Yeah, maybe Steve should not have asked that in the middle of arguing the merits of REO Speedwagon. But the question had just been sitting there in his head, itching at him. It’s actually kind of amazing he hadn’t blurted it out before now. “I just-“

“I thought we were past this. I thought we were friends,” Jonathan interrupts, his voice low and angry, his eyes dark with disappointment. “Now, what? You’re trying to find a different way to make fun of me? Trying to-“

“Whoa, no! This isn’t about you,” Steve shouts.

Jonathan stops and looks at Steve. “It’s not?”

“No, I needed to, I was asking for me, because, because…”

“Oh. Oh. _Oh._ Did a guy kiss you?”

Steve nods.

“Well, generally, when someone kisses you, it means they like you,” Jonathan says awkwardly.

“It doesn’t always. But, in this case, yeah, _that_ I figured. I mean, what do I do? What does it mean for me?”

“Did you like it?”

“I guess?”

“You don’t know?”

“I was really surprised. And pretty drunk.”

“You were drunk and someone kissed you,” Jonathan says and he looks upset again. “Then, it doesn’t mean anything for you.”

Steve blinks. “It doesn’t?”

“No, it doesn’t. Unless… you want it to.”

“That is not very helpful.”

“Do you want it to mean something?”

Steve thinks about that, but his head is such a mess. “I don’t know.”

Jonathan regards him for a moment. “Hold on, I’ll be right back.” Then he gets up and leaves the room. He’s back a few minutes later with Nancy following behind him.

Steve stands up as Nancy closes and locks the door. “What’s going on?”

“I thought there was something I could maybe try. Something that might help you figure things out,” Jonathan says.

“Like what?” Steve asks.

Jonathan looks over at Nancy and she nods encouragingly. “I thought, if you wanted, I could kiss you.”

“What? For real?” Steve asks, shocked.

“Yeah,” Jonathan says.

Steve looks over at Nancy, not sure if it’s for reassurance or permission.

“It’s fine, Steve, though I want to watch, if you’re okay with that,” Nancy says.

Steve smiles teasingly. “I don’t know why I’m not surprised that you would want to watch, but I’m not.”

Nancy blushes, but smiles back.

Steve looks back at Jonathan. “Um, okay, yeah. So, how should we do this?”

Jonathan simply cups Steve’s face in his hands and kisses him. 

Steve goes still, not having expected it, but after a few seconds he relaxes a little and settles his hands on Jonathan’s waist. Then he opens his mouth, just a little, and flicks his tongue over Jonathan’s bottom lip. Jonathan hums into the kisses and coaxes Steve into opening his mouth a little more, deepening the kiss.

Steve’s a little breathless when the both step back. Nancy makes a little sighing noise that Steve recognizes and he looks over at her, surprised.

Jonathan clears his throat. “So, did that help?”

Steve blinks and looks at Jonathan licking his lips and then back to Nancy, her eyes dark, still looking at them both. “Actually, I think I’m more confused now.”

Nancy tilts her head and then gives him a small smile. “You can like both, Steve.”

Steve asks in a voice that sounds timid to his own ears, “And that’s okay? It’s not…” trailing off, unsure how exactly to finish.

Nancy steps over to him and puts a hand on his arm. “It’s not _common_ , but it’s not wrong.” Then she smiles over at Jonathan.

“Oh.” Steve thinks about that for a few moments. Then he looks at Jonathan. “Okay, then, yeah, yeah, that helped. Thanks.”

“Any time,” Jonathan says.

Steve laughs a little.

Nancy squeezes Steve’s arm. “No, really. If you decide not to do anything more with whoever or you do and it doesn’t work out, maybe think about coming back to us to… do some exploring.”

She cannot be serious, can she? “For serious?” Steve asks eyes darting between the two of them.

“Yes, seriously,” Jonathan says.

He’s had one shock after another this afternoon, but thinking about the kiss with Jonathan and about Nancy, there’s only really one answer. “Okay.”

~~~

The thing is, Steve may have figured some things out about himself, but that doesn’t mean he has any idea how to talk to Billy about it (or anything, really) or even how to approach him. He unfortunately doesn’t realize this until he’s actually caught sight of Billy in the hallway at school. And to make things worse, he can see both Jonathan and Nancy, too, and there is just too much going on in the moment. So, he gives a quick wave and smile at Jonathan and Nancy and ducks the stare from Billy that’s so heavy he can feel it on his back as he angles toward the school office like that’s where he was headed all along. He is supposed to talk to the guidance counselor at some point, so he goes ahead and makes an appointment for next week. He can’t say he really wants to talk about his ‘prospects’, but at least if his dad says anything, he can point to this, and he’ll get out of Government (Mr. Nelson has such a monotone, it’s hard to not to be bored). 

Steve thinks about what to say to Billy all through English, as the class discusses the themes of The Crucible. He’d read it, except it had seemed pretty straightforward to him - spite and fear and not wanting to go against the crowd. He’s not paying a lot of attention to all the talk about what it means. But it does catch his notice when Stacy compares what happened in the book to the Hawkins Lab ‘conspiracy’. Steve wants to laugh, but doesn’t. He goes back to thinking about how to talk to Billy.

Steve wants to talk to Billy somewhere sort of private, but inviting him to Steve’s house will maybe seem like Steve wants to go a lot further than a kiss and he’s not, not yet, maybe not ever depending on what Billy says. Maybe they can go to the diner. Steve decides he’ll say something after practice. Because even though Billy usually finishes showering before Steve, he never seems to leave the locker room until after Steve.

Steve catches Billy watching him several times throughout the day and he thinks back to what Billy told him at the quarry. It’s both flattering and disturbing. It slides more towards disturbing when Billy glares and looks like he wants to break something as Nancy and Jonathan crowd up to Steve between classes. They say they just want to check in on him. Well, maybe that’s true for Jonathan, but Steve’s pretty sure Nancy has her own agenda, even if he’s not sure what it is.

Steve’s antsy for the end of the day. He’s watching the clock as an announcement comes over the intercom that basketball practice is cancelled. And there goes that plan. Now, he’s not sure what he’s going to do. He could try to track Billy down, but he’s not sure where to even start with that. He will probably have to wait until tomorrow, even though he knows he will be completely wound up from the anticipation. He goes to his locker and gets what he needs. Then he heads out to his car. And Billy is there, smoking, leaning up against his own car in the parking space next to Steve’s.

“Hey,” Steve says.

“Hey,” Billy says, mocking Steve with the exact same tone.

“Were you… waiting for me?” Steve asks.

“What do you think?” Billy asks with a smirk.

Steve sighs. He unlocks his car, opens the door and puts his stuff inside before closing it and turning around to face Billy. “Do you always have to be like this?”

“I gotta be me,” Billy says dryly.

Steve shakes his head. “Look, do have anywhere you have to be?”

“Nope. I’m all yours,” Billy says suggestively.

Now Steve isn’t sure if he even wants to _talk_ to Billy, much less do anything else. “You know what? Never mind. I’ll see you around.” Steve turns back to his car, shaking his head. As he goes to pull the door open again, though, Billy’s hand comes down on the doorframe and keeps Steve from being able to.

Steve doesn’t turn around. “What?” he demands, exasperated.

“Didn’t mean to rile you, Princess.”

“Uh, yeah, you did.”

“Okay, yeah, I did. But not enough to leave. So, what did you have in mind?”

Steve turns around and of course Billy doesn’t move back, standing too close, almost caging Steve in. But Billy does look like he’s actually a little sorry. Steve decides against the diner. “Follow me?”

Billy’s brows go up and then he nods and steps back.

Steve gets in his car and starts it and pulls out of the parking lot, making sure he can see Billy in the rearview mirror. Steve leads the way through town. Then out past the old mill and down a farm road to the ‘arena’ (really just some cleared land with loose dirt spread over it, a sturdy chain-link fence circling it, some bleachers and lights set up around the fence, and a wooden booth at the front). It’s been a while since he’s been to one of these derbies. They have small tractors most Tuesdays, big tractors and combines most Thursdays, plus cars and trucks on Saturdays when there isn’t a big game. Steve parks over on the hard-packed dirt lot to the side where there are maybe a couple dozen other cars parked. He gets out of his car, grabs a heavier coat and a blanket from the trunk, and waits for Billy to park and join him. Billy does, eyeing the place.

“What is this, Harrington?” Billy asks.

“This is a small tractor demolition derby,” Steve says and walks over to a booth. He pays for both he and Billy. He holds out the heavy coat to Billy. Billy looks like he’s going to protest, so Steve looks pointedly at his jean jacket and open shirt. Billy grabs the coat and puts it on with a sour look on his face.

Steve leads Billy up in the stands, somewhat away from the other people already there. Steve puts the blanket down on their part of the bleachers and they settle before Billy says anything. “So, why are we watching a small tractor demolition derby?”

“It’s pretty destructive and loud, like you, I thought you’d like it,” Steve says.

Billy huffs out a laugh. “It’s popular, huh?” he questions looking around at the fairly sparse crowd.

“This is just the qualifiers, they’ll start in a bit. It doesn’t really get going until it gets dark and they turn on the lights. The stands will fill up,” Steve says.

“If you say so,” Billy says. “But why are we here?”

“It’s sort of private, no one’s going to be listening to us, but it’s public, too.”

“Afraid to be alone with me?”

“I probably should be. ‘Cause I think your definition of paying attention and mine are different. But no, not afraid. You just push. A lot.” And Steve thinks it’s less likely that Billy will go stalking off without finishing the conversation if he gets angry or frustrated. Or, at least Steve hopes so.

Billy allows that with a shrug and a nod.

“So, did you want more than what happened at my place?”

“Nah, I just wanted the one. I’m good now,” Billy says, sarcasm thick in his tone.

Steve rolls his eyes. “Jesus, why do make everything so hard?”

Billy smiles widely. “Why, Steve-“

Steve cuts him off, “Don’t.”

“Fine. Do you? Want more?”

Steve wants to say he asked Billy first, but instead says, “Maybe.”

“Maybe?”

“I don’t, I’ve never, um, done anything. With a guy. I wasn’t even sure, at first, if I even liked it. With, you know, guys.”

“You weren’t sure,” Billy says flatly.

“I was really drunk.”

“And now you’re sure?”

“Yeah. Jo- Someone else… helped me figure it out.”

“Helped you how?” Billy asks heatedly.

Steve just gives him a look.

“Who?” Billy barks out.

“What difference does it make?”

“Was it Byers?”

Steve starts a little in surprise, though he doesn’t say anything.

Billy seems to take that as confirmation. He gives Steve a nasty smile. “And what would your perfect little ex say about her…” Billy trails off, his eyes going distant. “Oh. She knows, doesn’t she? And she’s not just okay with it, she likes it.”

Steve can’t even begin to guess how Billy figured that out and he’s not sure what to make of the expression on his face now, which is maybe reluctantly impressed.

“Does she like to watch?” Billy asks, licking his lips.

It’s chilly, but Steve feels his face go hot. “Billy,” he says sternly.

“King Steve! Every time I think I’ve got something about you pegged, you show me something new,” Billy says, something like wonder in his eyes.

Steve frowns. “I’m a pretty simple guy.”

Billy laughs with what seems like genuine amusement. “Well, you’re half right.”

The roar of tractors starting up keeps Steve from replying. The qualifiers are starting. Steve tries to get Billy to actually talk about what more he might want during the lulls and Billy just keeps turning it back on Steve. Steve finally gets fed up. “Is this some kind of game?” Steve demands, speaking quietly, but fiercely.

“What? No.”

“Then just tell me. Do want to make out? Do you want sex? Do you want to go on dates? Do you want to go steady?”

Billy makes a little frustrated noise, but finally answers, “Yes.”

“Yes? Yes to what?”

“To all of that. I want- Yes, to whatever you’ll do,” Billy says forcefully. Then he looks away and says, “But, it can’t be public, people can’t know, my father _can’t know_ and he can’t find out.”

Steve is kind of thrown. Steve stares at Billy and wonders if the reason he’s been so irritating about this whole thing is that he’s scared. Scared of people finding out, which Steve gets, though he’s not as worried about it as he would have thought, since he has friends who know and don’t care. But Billy seems kind of scared about what he wants, too. And he seems to want a lot more than Steve had imagined, since Steve had just been throwing things out there to try to get Billy to actually give a solid answer.

“So?” Billy asks impatiently.

“Well, uh, not sex. Or going steady. Yet. But we can date and make out and see how that goes and then, maybe.”

“This is probably going to crash and burn terribly. We’re stupid for even trying,” Billy says, smiling.

“Aw, you’re such a sweet talker,” Steve says dryly.

Later, Billy leans his shoulder against Steve’s and says almost too softly to hear under the noise of clashing metal, “Thanks for being stupid with me.”

Steve snorts and shakes his head, but leans into Billy, too.

The End

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know if you find any typos or if the format is messed up or if you think I need any tags.


End file.
